Vladimir_M comments on Memetic Hazards in Videogames - Less Wrong

73 Post author: jimrandomh 10 September 2010 02:22AM

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Comment author: Vladimir_M 11 September 2010 05:56:21PM *  5 points [-]

I'd say the worst habit of thought promoted by computer games is that if you do something disastrously foolish or clumsy, you can conveniently restart from a recently saved position. Clearly, that doesn't help one develop a good attitude towards the possibility of blunders in real life. (Though I should add that I haven't played any computer games in almost a decade, and I don't know if the basic concepts have changed since then.)

Comment author: madair 11 September 2010 08:07:17PM 4 points [-]

I don't find that's so for myself. War games give me a sense of my own mortality and ease of finding death no matter how many health packs and energy shields are provided. I wonder whether others experience the same?

Comment author: Zvi 12 September 2010 12:17:36AM 5 points [-]

I find it makes me long for this ability rather than fool me into thinking I have it. In fact, reminding me that I could die or make the game unwinnable at any moment tends to have the opposite effect of making me more risk averse than I should be.